Made in Birmingham, England, in 1978, this beautiful ring features eight single-cut red spessartine garnets surrounding a white opal cabochon, set in sterling silver. The cluster design was a popular Victorian style, and this vintage ring honors that historic era.
Despite the common myth, opals are not bad luck! Opals played an important role in a 1829 book by Sir Walter Scott called "Anne of Geierstein," in which the stone was cursed and has since tarnished opals' reputation. Before then, opals were considered among the luckiest gemstones across many cultures; some even believed they contained lightning!
The ring is in excellent condition with only one noticeable sign of wear. The stones are free of chips or cracks, but the garnets have a few tiny nicks on the facet junctions. The ring bears a Lion Passant (the British mark for sterling silver), an anchor (Birmingham assay mark), the date mark for 1978, and the hallmark P&RB. The silver shows areas of light patina that can be polished if requested.
The ring is a size 6.5 and can be sized. The head measures 3/8" wide. The ring weighs 1.76 grams, and the box is for display purposes only.
